Articles 
Over the last decade and a half, we’ve all been exposed to the following idea: Millennials and Gen Z are different from previous generations. They don’t expect to stay long at your company, and therefore you shouldn’t expect them to do so either. Or is there another way out?
Job-hopping has become a common currency among Gen Z and Millennials. Thus, we usually – and mistakenly – come up with the conclusion that they either can’t find satisfaction in their professional pursuits or simply don’t want to work. However, at Avature, we take a different approach. Our experience has taught us that organizations are not adapting correctly to prevent the millennial generation from changing jobs.
The generational gap has broadened with the rise of the digital age and external events such as the 2020 pandemic. As long as organizations fail to offer what Millennials and Gen Z employees expect from them, job-hopping will continue.
Job Tenure Among Millennials and Gen Z
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that Americans aren’t staying as long with employers as they did in the early 1980s. In rough numbers, six out of ten Millennial employees are currently open to new job opportunities.
From this, we can infer that these younger generations are struggling to find a workplace that suits their expectations and are, thus, looking for a new place to work.
This fact takes us to two primary concerns:
First, why should organizations prioritize and engage Millennials and Gen Zers? In a word, the “bottom line.” According to recent research, turnover of these two groups costs the U.S. economy $30.5 billion annually. This is especially concerning, considering these two generations will soon account for the majority of the active workforce.
Second, there’s another essential question we need to ask ourselves: What do Millennials and Gen Z want in the workplace? As generations are not strictly homogeneous, this may seem a complicated question. Yet, certain generational patterns we can identify will help us improve Millennial and Gen Z workforce engagement.
What Matters to Millennials and Gen Z at Work?
To better understand the answer, we first need to know that they don’t view organizations like previous generations. Most were born in a digital environment – i.e., a world where they can interact with anyone instantly regardless of language, culture or location.
Accordingly, one of the things Millennial employees and Gen Zers want in the workplace is the possibility to be part of a community. Effective communication between peers and superiors is critical.
Organizations need to give these workers a voice that they can use to disrupt and express their ideas and preferences. Essentially, their opinions need to be attended to, shared and considered.
Another critical aspect of the digital age that transmits to Millennial and Gen Z job expectations is the notion of constant progress and change. Today, we live in an ever-changing business and social environment. According to Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, 61 percent of Gen Zers and 58 percent of millennials believe they have the power to drive change within their organizations, particularly when it comes to workload, the services offered to clients, learning and development, DEI, wellness, social impact and environmental efforts.
As a result, organizations need to constantly evolve as they strive to engage with internal and external candidate markets.
The younger workforce is accustomed to constant change and stimulation. Thus, Millenials and Gen Z want the possibility of evolution and development in the workplace. If they can’t find the personal growth they need within an organization, they will look elsewhere. The result? Job-hopping.
This leads us to a defining characteristic of the new workforce: training and performance management. And Gen Z workers can rapidly acquire new skills as fast-learning generations.
They expect learning and development to be a core tenet of their employment experience. Organizations that fail in this respect will find attracting and retaining this demographic difficult.
How to Engage Millennials in The Workplace?
Now that we know why these generations change jobs, how can organizations transform these expectations into a competitive advantage? The digital era and the ubiquitous nature of flexible work in many places provide us with a clear answer: organizations need to adapt.
While adapting may bring to mind agile technology, it means investing in your talent. By understanding and satisfying what future – and current – generations expect from their working environments, you will prevent them from considering a job change. As a plus, skills, learning and employee development are also known to be closely related to employee engagement.
Here are some tips that will help you invest in keeping Millennials and Gen Zers engaged at work:
- Create a community within your workplace. A great way to provide your employees with a voice is by creating a community-based work experience. You can start with an agile new hire onboarding software that connects your newest recruits with their colleagues prior to day one. Next, focus on developing a digitally based social environment. This will empower your employees to interact with peers and superiors while also creating a sense of belonging
- Adopt a strong internal mobility structure. Letting your employees know that there are always opportunities for change and development is a great way to improve workforce buy-in. Look to develop a robust internal mobility framework. This will empower your workforce to reach their full potential as you develop a culture of upskilling and reskilling.
- Improve your organization’s performance management strategy. Employees know what organizations expect from them. Agile goal setting and 360-degree feedback will help employers gain visibility and understand what the workforce expects in return as they develop professionally. Look to adopt a continuous performance management workflow. This will motivate Millennial and Gen Z employees and give them more control over their career growth.
To Conclude…
Job-hopping is a reality among Millennial and Gen Z employees. However, there are various ways to prevent it. By comprehensively understanding their demands and expectations, you can develop an engaging and rewarding experience that will encourage these employees to stay and grow with your organization.
Start by creating an employee-led workforce community. Next, focus on developing your internal mobility and up-skilling strategies. Finally, look to improve your organization’s performance management framework.
This three-pronged approach will improve engagement, drive workforce buy-in and provide an excellent opportunity for your business to save money and talent.
